


Of Small Moments in Quiet Places

by Enk



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Crossdressing, Gen, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-22
Updated: 2013-12-22
Packaged: 2018-01-04 16:27:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1083163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enk/pseuds/Enk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Randomly, Phil Coulson finds himself on a mission with no briefing, Tony Stark as his partner, random coordinates, a time stamp, and nothing more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Small Moments in Quiet Places

**Author's Note:**

  * For [phae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/phae/gifts).



> written for the Lump of Coul exchange. Phae asked for crossdressing Tony and Phil fixing people to feel in control. This isn't quite sexy times but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless

“This is never going to work, Mr. Stark.” Phil is not impressed. He would much rather be back on the Bus. Instead, he is stuck here once more playing nanny to Tony Stark. It's not that he hates the man, on the contrary, he thinks Tony Stark to be a rather decent human being once he worked through his issues. It's more that Tony Stark, Tony Stark and the Avengers, New York City, it all reminds him too much of the time before...

 

The Bus is his home now. He has a team just as good as the Avengers, better even considering that none of them have actual superpowers. He ignores that -technically- Tony doesn't either. That's not his point. He is happy on The Bus. Sure, it's only a temporary reassignment, but somewhere out there is his team, his family fighting the good fight and he's no longer cleared to know their missions. 

 

“You don't even know what I am up to!” Tony shouts from his bedroom upstairs. 

 

“I know it's probably a bad idea.”

 

That's all Phil needs to know. Tony Stark is the personification of bad ideas. It appears that becoming buddies with people who have actual superpowers makes him think he is invincible. More than once has Phil heard about Tony throwing caution to the wind and nearly getting himself killed. He also remembers babysitting Tony Stark with a tranq gun. The man's a genius, worked through all seven seasons of Supernanny. However, that doesn't mean he wants to work with the man. Last time he worked with him... things went South. Way South. An experience Phil has no intentions of repeating. 

 

Time passes. Phil isn't impressed. They're going to be la- no make that they are late, ten minutes now. If Stark takes any longer, it might compromise the mission. Whatever the mission is. They haven't even been told yet, but Phil is sure it is somehow being compromised. He hates not knowing. The privilege that comes with Levels 7 and 8 is one he knows he doesn't appreciate enough. The mission came in the middle of the night. May had to turn The Bus around and fly a few thousand miles the other direction because they suddenly needed him in New York City. No word as to why. Just Tony Stark as his contact and mission partner, coordinates, and a time stamp. He assumes for a driver to pick them up. 

 

“Hey, you think you can hurry this up a bit?” He raises his voice, but just a bit. “We're running late.”

 

Still nothing. He looks up the stairs at the shut door to Tony Stark's bedroom door. Bedroom, more like dungeon of depravity. He rolls his eyes. The man is probably trying to sneak in a quickie with god knows who or still throwing up from last night's debauchery. Phil's read the file. The man did not take Pepper Potts' break-up well. 

 

“Mr. Stark?”

 

It's too quiet. Phil sighs. He isn't keen on dealing with vomit right now or herding genius billionaires to an unknown location when the man is obviously not willing to cooperate. He doesn't dislike the man; he dislikes the man's habits. However, it is now half an hour past the pick-up time and Phil really, really wants to get this over with and back to his own life. So, he tightens his jaw and steels himself for what he will find upstairs. He really hopes Stark only managed to be distracted by a new tech idea. 

 

“Mr. Stark?” He knocks on the door. “We are half an hour late now. I really think we should be going.”

 

Again no answer.

 

 

“I'm coming in now.” He announces and touches the control pad beside the door. To his surprise, the door isn't locked and opens with a soft hiss. 

 

“Agent!” Tony's voice slurs from the en-suite bathroom. “For a while, I thought you'd be yelling from downstairs all night.”

 

“Sir, we really should get going now.” 

 

There are no naked women draped over the bed. In fact, the bed looks entirely untouched. That's at least something, he thinks and turns to walk toward the bathroom door. However, when his foot kicks and empty bottle of Jameson, Phil's heart sinks again. He knows the man had started drinking again. It's all over the files with recommendations for removal from service. Had it not been for the other Avengers, Tony would be grounded permanently. Still, there is the painful pang of disappointment and worry. There are plenty of good, even great things about Tony Stark, but all of them are washed away with every relapse, when hiding alcohol in the most impossible places appears to become his favourite sport.

 

“Hello darling,” Tony stumbles out of the bathroom. Phil half expected him to be naked, but instead Tony has somehow managed to squeeze himself in a dress Phil recognizes as one of Pepper's, one Tony had gifted her. His lips are stained an awful orange shade of red and his eyes are covered in an eyeshadow combination that wouldn't flatter anyone. How he is standing in strappy silver heels that would do a stripper proud- how did the man even get heels in his size? Phil is sure Tony and Pepper do not share a shoe size. And did the man shave his beard? Just one side, it appears. He's still holding a bottle of something clear, the label is peeled off but Phil knows Tony's preference for gin once the whiskey is gone.

 

“What are you doing, Mr. Stark?” He feels he needs to ask aloud just in case Tony has an actual answer that could possibly make sense. He isn't going to hold his breath on that one though.

 

The thing he expects will happen is a long-winded drunken ramble on why Tony thought it'd be a good idea to do whatever he thinks he's doing. Instead, Tony just looks at him. Looks at him genuinely lost, confused, and utterly, utterly miserable.

 

“I-” he starts. “I don't know. I don't...”

 

“You're the mission.” Phil whispers under his breath. It all makes sense now. He should have checked the coordinates before his departure. Why had he neglected to do this? He pulls his phone from his pocket and inputs them. Of course. There's a hit on Google Maps of all places. S.H.I.E.L.D. is putting Tony into rehab. The man probably found out and had some kind of meltdown. How could they even think to approach this situation without any appearance of tact? Tony still stands in the doorway, swaying a little, staring at nothing.

 

“Hey,” Phil puts away his phone, places a hand on Tony shoulder, and gently guides him back into the bathroom. “Come on, let's get you cleaned up.”

 

He ignores the calls for mission updates. If they want him to help Tony Stark get better, he was going to do it on his own terms.

 

“I'm sorry.” Tony whispers every so often as Phil washes the make up off his face. 

 

“It's okay.” Phil squeezes his shoulder. “We'll get you through this.”

 

“Will you stay?” Tony asks when Phil hands him pyjamas. 

 

“I won't leave until you're better.” He knows he means more than just until the next hangover. “I promise.”

 


End file.
